The detox diaries

Week 3
I have lost track of what day it is, but I'm in the detox zone. I adore eating fish every other day, and with lentils, chicken and Joshi's back-of-book recipes, our diet is varied. I can even have an occasional cocktail, but it should be vodka or gin because both are unfermented and don't encourage yeast growth. I will also follow the recommendation to detox again in six months. My waist is definitely trimmer, my skin looks great and I feel like Mrs. Incredible.

Worst moments
We go out for dinner to celebrate. This is difficult to do. Restaurants do have chicken and fish, smothered in gorgeously rich sauces, so it takes a determined detoxer to manage the menu. My husband gives up and orders the wickedly good veal Marsala with fettuccine; I piously go for the salmon, although it sits in a puddle of acid-creating red pepper and gorgonzola sauce. We are defiant and order bread and red wine. On the way home, we sheepishly admit that we feel bloated and uncomfortable.

Best moments
My husband has lost 20 pounds and he's feeling great. He manages lunchtime by taking leftovers or salads with salmon, chickpeas, chopped celery and shredded cabbage dressed with olive oil. Business lunches are tough, but every menu has a lesser evil lurking among the hamburgers and fries. "I'm sleeping so well, like when you're in your teens and you wake up full of life," he says. "I feel younger and lighter." He struggles with his sweet tooth but manages it with bio-yogurt, honey, bananas and the occasional stick of sugar-free gum.

I have lost inches, feel strong and, best of all, sleep well. My husband has noticed. "You don't snore like a bear anymore," he announces. I'm thrilled. Without a bloated abdomen, it seems, there is less pressure on my diaphragm. But there is more -- words every woman should hear at my age. "You are looking great in your bathing suit. You sure don't look 40."

Thank you, Dr. Joshi.